Alle Kapitel von Mate In The Shadows : Kapitel 71 – Kapitel 80

By early afternoon, the palace had settled into its usual rhythm once more. Meetings resumed. Courtyards filled with servants and messengers. Somewhere in the western wing, laughter drifted through open corridors, while in another part of the palace, several determined women found themselves surrounded by blankets, scarves, and entirely too many supplies.Meanwhile, elsewhere inside the palace, the ladies had claimed an entire room for themselves. Not intentionally. It simply happened. Several large tables had been arranged near one of the western halls. Blankets occupied one corner. Winter clothing occupied another. Boxes of preserved food sat stacked neatly against a wall. The kingdom regularly organized distributions during the colder months. And this year's preparations were nearly complete. Which explained why Selene, Sable, Elira, and Evangeline currently found themselves sorting supplies. "Who packed these?" Evangeline lifted a bundle. Then blinked. Then blinked again. "Why ar

While workers repaired roads and villages counted supplies, life inside the palace carried on in its own familiar way. Reports still needed sorting. Meetings still found the people trying hardest to avoid them. And somewhere within those stone walls, two stubborn men had somehow turned a simple strategy game into a matter of personal honor.Elsewhere, another disaster unfolded. Aldric and Theron had somehow acquired a strategy board. Nobody knew who started it. Nobody knew whose idea it was. Everyone regretted it. The game occupied a small table near one of the palace libraries. At first everything seemed civilized. Reasonable. Respectable. That lasted approximately twenty minutes. "You moved that piece wrong." "I did not." "You absolutely did." "You're imagining things." "I'm not." Aldric folded his arms. Theron looked offended. Neither showed any signs of surrender. Quilan entered midway through the argument. Paused. Observed the situation. Then immediately turned around. "No

A week passed. Winter hadn't fully disappeared, but its grip had begun to loosen. Snowbanks shrank, water dripped from rooftops, and patches of dark earth emerged beneath the melting snow. The kingdom felt caught between seasons, slowly waking after its long winter sleep.Selene walked through the palace gardens that morning. Workers uncovered flowerbeds that had slept beneath winter's protection while the first birds of the season returned. Only weeks ago everything had been buried beneath snow. Now the kingdom itself seemed to be waking.Behind her, a gardener straightened. "Morning, My lady." "Good morning." The older woman smiled. "We'll have flowers again soon." Selene looked toward the empty flowerbeds. "I believe you." The woman laughed. "You sound unconvinced." "I'm trying to imagine it." "Give it time." The gardener glanced toward the sky. "Spring always wins eventually." Selene smiled. That seemed true of many things. The season continued whether anyone was ready or not.

The palace was awake long before sunrise. Simply because people were traveling.And apparently that changed everything.Servants moved through corridors carrying bags and blankets. Guards checked equipment. Stable hands prepared horses. Somewhere in the distance, someone dropped something heavy and immediately received several complaints for it.The morning felt busy. Not frantic. Just alive.Selene stood near one of the palace windows with Camille balanced against her shoulder. The baby looked deeply suspicious of the entire situation. Which was fair. Her morning routine had been interrupted by people moving around far more than usual. Camille did not approve. She watched a servant hurry across the courtyard below. Then another. Then another.Her expression remained like she was unimpressed. "You're judging everyone again." Camille ignored her. Selene smiled.Outside, dawn slowly stretched across the kingdom. The sky glowed pale gold. The air felt different

Three days after returning from the western coast, life had settled back into its usual rhythm. The sea had followed Selene home.Not literally, of course. There was no ocean waiting outside her window. Yet somehow she kept finding pieces of it everywhere. A basin of water catching the morning sunlight reminded her of the horizon. The sound of wind moving through the newly budding trees echoed the gentle rise and fall of distant waves. Even the scent of fresh rain carried the faintest memory of salt if she closed her eyes long enough. It was strange. The journey had lasted only a handful of days. But after spending so many years imagining what the sea might look like, finally standing before it had left something permanent inside her. The memory had immediately become precious.Unfortunately... Camille had very different priorities. While Selene was busy treasuring memories of the sea, Camille had dedicated herself to a far more important pursuit— unfolding freshly fold